Warmth
by HerRenegadeHeart
Summary: He'd been so preoccupied with proving his theory right that he hadn't even realized that her reticence to actually go out into the jungle with him in the first place hadn't been her doubting him, but her hinting that she wasn't feeling well. (Part 10 of the Defenseless Series)


_"I tell myself I have to build defenses_  
_'Cause once you are in love, you are defenseless_  
_Everything was easy when it meant less_  
_But once you are in love, you are defenseless."_

Askjell _\- To Be Loved ft. AURORA_

**#10 of the Defenseless Series**

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He should have been paying better attention. He should have realized the flush to her cheeks wasn't just from trekking through the Hawaiian jungle. He should have made sure she was drinking regularly to ward off dehydration.

But he hadn't. He'd been so preoccupied with proving his theory right that he hadn't even realized that her reticence to actually go out into the jungle with him in the first place hadn't been her doubting him, but her hinting that she wasn't feeling well.

He glanced over at Higgins as he drove, watching for a moment as she slept, head tilted toward the door, hair blowing across her face. She was unconscious or very near so, so incredibly exhausted that she'd barely made it five minutes into the trip home before passing out. That was when Magnum knew she had to be feeling terrible. Juliet Higgins didn't just sleep anywhere, least of all when people could see.

Magnum suspected it had to do with feeling vulnerable. There were very few times when you were more vulnerable than when you were asleep. And if there was one clear thing Magnum had learned about Higgins over the time he'd known her, it was that she found being vulnerable very difficult.

He got it, he understood. He wasn't exactly the most open book on the planet, and after the life Higgins had lead, it was no wonder why she tended to be so aloof. It was second nature to those in the spy business to keep the personal close to the chest and even when disavowed, keeping secrets was a hard habit to break.

Still, he had to admit to himself that it kind of bothered him that Higgins couldn't have just told him that she'd somehow contracted the flu from hell and requested that he go on his theory-proving walkabout without her.

_Of course she didn't,_ his brain whispered, _she didn't want to disappoint you. _He frowned at himself. Or at the very least, she didn't want to deal with him giving her grief for turning him down because of a little cold.

That _is _what he'd called it, he realized with a wince. When he'd trotted into the study with his mind spinning with excitement over the prospect of solving his case, he'd noted the red tint to her eyes and how she sounded a bit congested when she spoke.

_"Got a little cold, Higgy?" he teased._

_She blinked slowly at him. "It's nothing…"_

_"Good! Because I have a theory."_

He should have picked up on her misery when she didn't quip back or even mildly attempt to tear his idea to pieces.

_"Okay, meet you in the car in five!"_

_"Magnum…"_

_"Don't worry, I remembered bug spray this time."_

Magnum shook his head at himself. They had just spent the last 7 hours traipsing around the jungle, following this or that trail, him with the bounding energy that came from imagining how thankful his clients were going to be when he solved their case and Higgins dragging along behind him in silent suffering.

He looked down at the Ferrari's clock and saw that it had gone 9:00PM. It wasn't the middle of the night, but it was still pretty late considering how long they'd been out in the heat. Even _he _was tired after today.

Higgins shifted slightly, her brow furrowing just so in her sleep. Magnum sighed. "Almost home, Higgy…" he murmured.

They made it to Robin's Nest in under fifteen minutes. Magnum pulled into his usual spot and turned off the engine. Surprisingly though, Higgins' didn't immediately wake up at the sudden stillness of both car and sound.

Magnum just sat there for a moment watching her. He knew if she caught him, she'd no doubt have something very cutting to say. Still, he couldn't help himself. He didn't think he'd ever seen her truly relax before, not even when she was doing yoga.

At the same time, though her features were relaxed, her coloring had his stomach in knots again. Her typical fair British complexion had turned sickly pearlescent with her cheeks points of fever red.

She needed to go to bed, Magnum decided. For several days.

"Higgins, we're home," he called softly.

She stirred, but didn't wake.

"Higgins," he tried again as reached for her, just barely touching her shoulder. He was immediately distracted by the heat from her skin and didn't notice her wake until she had twisted and locked his hand into a painful hold.

"Ow ow! Higgins, it's just me!" Magnum exclaimed, dropping his shoulder toward the center console to prevent her from breaking his wrist.

It took her a second, much longer than it normally would have, before she blinked sluggishly and murmured, "Magnum…?" She let go of his hand.

Magnum shook the sting out. "Remind me to never wake you up again," he quipped, but she didn't have a comeback, not even a smart 'That will teach you.' She just sat there looking around with blurry eyes.

"Okay, time for you to go to bed," he said with a shake of his head. He climbed out of the car and when Higgins didn't immediately join him, he walked around the other side of the car and opened the door for her.

Higgins fumbled with the seat belt for a moment before she rose up on shaky legs. She held onto the door for a few seconds, seemingly overcoming dizziness, before her started toward the house.

She was unsteady, Magnum could easily see it, so he kept pace with her and hovered his hand near the back of her shoulder should she need it.

Normally Magnum wouldn't even have necessarily walked her to the door. They would have just said goodnight in the driveway and gone their separate ways. Not tonight. He wasn't leaving her until he was sure she was safe.

Higgins didn't seem to notice or care. She just walked blindly up the path, in the door, and through the house without so much as a glance his way. As they headed down the back hall, however, Magnum realized that he was approaching unknown territory. He knew which room was Higgins', but hadn't ever dared to enter. He generally valued his life. But when Higgins fumbled just trying to turn the doorknob, something told him that in this case, risking death was worth it.

He opened the door for her and ushered her inside, following slowly after. She didn't protest or attempt to shoot him with any of the guns she no doubt had artfully hidden in the room which he took as a good sign.

She immediately moved over to the queen bed in the center of the far wall and dropped down into an exhausted sit on the edge of it. Magnum watched as she looked down at her boots for a moment before seemingly deciding it was too much work and flopping over sideways, pressing her face into the fluffy pillows with a sigh. Magnum thought about asking if she wanted him to take her boots off for her, but decided that it was a task that might be better suited for Kumu. He didn't want to overstep.

Magnum shook his head and decided to go raid the medicine cabinet and get a glass of water for her instead. As always, it was impressively stocked, not that he generally got far enough to actually partake in said stock. Normally anytime caught pilfering supplies from the cabinet that was, according to Higgins, "Clearly for proper residents and _invited_ guests of Robin's Nest, not collusive freeloaders," he was promptly given the same speech and the not-so-suggestive suggestion to locate the nearest Walgreens. He supposed, though, that since the supplies was going to a "proper resident", she wouldn't mind him poking around in there.

He gathered what he needed and headed back to her room. After glancing around just to make sure there weren't any large-toothed hellbeasts lurking nearby, waiting to tear out his throat for daring to wander further into Higgins' personal domain, he crossed over to her. Her eyes were closed again.

"Higgins," he called gently, not sure if she was asleep again or just resting.

"Mmm?" was her lackluster reply.

"I've got some water and some ibuprofen for you," he told her. "You should at least drink before you go back to sleep."

A second passed, then Higgins cracked her eyes to look at him. She seemed more aware than she had previously. With what seemed enormous effort, she pushed herself back up into a sitting position and extended both her hands to him, not saying a word.

Magnum placed the ibuprofen in her left hand and the glass of water in her right. He watched her down both before she handed the glass back with a soft, "Thank you."

He gave her a small smile. "No problem. Do you need anything else?"

She shook her head.

"Okay," he replied, not wanting to overstay his welcome. "I'll let you just get some rest then."

She nodded and slid back down into her pillows.

Unable to help himself, he grabbed the soft throw from the nearby chair and draped it over her. She snuggled in deeper, sighing softly.

Magnum took a step toward the door, but then stopped. "One question though…"

She looked over at him with half-lidded eyes. "Mmm?"

"If you weren't feeling well, why didn't you just tell me to go on my own?" he asked. "You didn't have to come with me."

She took a breath and replied in a voice raspy with sleep, "You were going to go follow a killer's trail through the jungle, Magnum." Her eyes slid closed. "I wasn't going to let you do that alone."

Smile spreading across his face as a warm simultaneously spread through his chest, Magnum watched her for a moment longer before he retreated, quietly closing the door behind him.

_END_

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_Author's Note_: This is another one of my favorites. I just love the quieter, sweet moments between these two. What are your favorite Miggy-type moments?


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